COD: Black Ops III Multiplayer Review

By Lostsoldier on February 2, 2016

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 in my opinion was the standout game of 2015. When it comes to online FPS, the game is in a league of its own. The pace has been stepped up with the inclusion of wall running and sliding, providing new challenges all the while retaining that familiar feel that fans have come to expect and anticipate. You can showcase your individuality with customisation options for your character using items from the black market and for the truly eager - spend countless hours personalising guns – this game is simply the entire package when it comes to competitive online first person shooters. It may have been overlooked when titles were shortlisted but in my opinion it is 2015’s game of the year.

As I sit down to write this review I struggle with the first sentence … how and where do I start? I can’t even concentrate on writing this review, because all I want to do is play Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Multiplayer.

I want you all to know that I write honest reviews … so I’m going to be honest … I freakin’ love this game. Now you most likely won’t agree with my opinion, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t my game of the year.

My first experience with BLOPS 3 was during the beta and it was in my very first game on the “Hunted” map that I knew I would be picking up the finished version … I hadn’t had that much fun playing a game for a very long time. Pretty much every chance I get I fire up my PlayStation and play this game. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of love for this game and I’ve sunk some significant hours into it … but with the exceptional highs, come the rage-quitting and hulk-smashing induced lows. What can I say, this game has put a smile on my face and a large hole in my desk … It dishes out enjoyment and frustration in spades.

The Multiplayer isn’t without its issues however, with one of the major pain points being finding lobbies to play in. While queuing by yourself generally results in getting a game straight away, try queuing with a group of friends – any more than two – and finding a game can be a real issue. Perhaps the best example of server inconsistency I came across was when I would join up in a party of three or more people, sometimes we would be blessed with an instant lobby … other times we could be cursed with a 20 plus minute wait! Treyarch have delivered such a fun game in BLOPS 3, it’s disappointing that being able to actually play it, sometimes requires splitting up and playing solo. This is really my only gripe with what is overall an excellent example of a challenging and fun first person shooter.

The game play is smooth as silk, with the movement flowing naturally. Wall running, or perhaps more accurately described as suicide running, is a great element added to the game and really compliments the layout of the maps and makes for a fun new inclusion. Swimming is also another welcome addition and can really be used to your advantage in certain situations. The map details are quite nice to look at, perhaps some more than others, but overall Treyarch have done a fantastic job with the layout of each. I personally prefer close encounters so the Combine map is one of my absolute favorites to play on. Although I think most of the maps are easy on the eye, there is one exception so far and that would be Nuketown. I love that they brought the fan favorite back and it used to be my favorite map in Black Ops 2 … but it’s been brought back with a fresh coat of paint, in all its futuristic glory. In my personal opinion it’s a little too futuristic and lacking the subtleness of some of the others. I get it, this is a more futuristic game and they didn’t have to bring back our favorite map but I just wished they modernized it a little and not a lot. But hey! This is just my personal opinion and the map is still fun to play on, it just hurts my eyes a tad.

The Black Market is something that has been introduced into the game and gives players the opportunity to unlock various weapon camo’s, player cards and specialist taunts. You can either spend 10 Crypto keys which you can easily earn from playing a few matches to unlock a Common supply drop, or alternatively save up 30 and unlock a Rare which will guarantee you a Rare item drop. There’s also a nifty new feature that’s been added that allows you to burn any duplicates you might get in return for a Crypto key, but take note that even if you get a duplicate Rare, Legendary or Epic, they will all only return one key. I really like the Black Market addition, I just wish I would have a bit more luck with my drops so I can kit out my character to make it unique and stand out.

This brings me to the Paintshop. I have spent hours playing around in this mode, when I need a break from getting my butt handed to me. Check out my custom Just GameKuda below and tell me what you think!

Overall Call of Duty: Black Ops III for me has been my game of the year. It may not have won the prestigious award or even featured on the finalist list but after hours upon hours of enjoyment, it has my vote. The gameplay is a lot of fun, the maps and layout of each are awesome and visually the game has stepped up.